1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to methods of stimulating plant growth and more particularly relates to potting mediums and their use to stimulate foliage plant growth.
2. Brief Description of the Prior Art
Humic acid containing materials such as peats, humates, lignites, leonardite and the like have been proposed heretofore for use as ingredients of plant fertilizer compositions. Conventional potting mediums for foliage plants have traditionally included, for example, peat as a component thereof. In spite of the fact that peat contains humic acid substances, we have found that the addition of a particular humate substance as an active ingredient of the potting media unexpectedly increases and stimulates the growth of foliage plants beyond the point that can be attributed to the peat. It is unexpected that the particular humate employed will affect foliage plants in this manner since humate is characterized by relatively high titanium and aluminum metal contents. These metals were generally heretofore considered to be toxic to foliage plants. Apparently at the levels found in the humate materials employed in the method of the invention, they are tolerable. In addition, the humate substance employed in the method of the present invention is of such a character that it would ordinarily be expected to reduce the water permeability of the potting medium. This, of course, is undesirable for the growth of foliage plants. However, the humate employed unexpectedly has no significant adverse effect on the water permeability of a potting media.